Epilator

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an epilator having an epilator head with a head housing and a skin contact unit arranged for being pivotable relative to the head housing about a first axis, and a handle arranged to be gripped by a user's hand, wherein the epilator head is pivotably connected with the handle and arranged for being pivotable relative to the handle about a second axis, the first and second axes being substantially perpendicular to each other and the first and second axes having a distance from each other.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed on October 4, 2018, with international application number PCT / IB2018 / 057727, Chinese application number 201880064718.3, entitled "Hair Removal Device". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to a hair removal device for removing hair from the skin of a subject, wherein the hair removal device has a hair removal head and a handle. This disclosure specifically relates to such a hair removal device, wherein the hair removal head includes a skin contact unit arranged to be pivotable about an axis relative to a head housing of the hair removal head. Background Technology

[0003] As is well known, many epilators, such as the Braun Silk-épil 9, have an epilator head and a handle, wherein the epilator head and the handle are detachably connected. The epilator head includes a skin contact unit that can pivot about an axis relative to the head housing.

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide an improved hair removal device compared to known hair removal devices (specifically, relative to the grip of the hair removal device). Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to one aspect, a hair removal device is provided, comprising a hair removal head and a handle, the hair removal head having a head housing and a skin contact unit arranged for pivoting relative to the head housing about a first axis, the handle being arranged for being gripped by a user's hand, wherein the hair removal head and the handle are pivotally connected and arranged for pivoting relative to the handle about a second axis, the first axis and the second axis being substantially perpendicular to each other and having a distance between them. Attached Figure Description

[0006] This disclosure will be illustrated by a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the hair removal device. In this specification, the concepts will be visualized with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0007] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary hair removal device according to at least one aspect of this disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2 A partial cross-section of an exemplary embodiment of a hair removal device according to the present disclosure shows a portion of the head and handle of the hair removal device;

[0009] Figure 3A A diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a first connecting element forming a separable cardholder connector;

[0010] Figure 3BA diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a second coupling element forming a separable cardengor connector;

[0011] Figure 4A , Figure 4B As illustrated in an exemplary embodiment of an epilator head according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, the epilator head has a mechanical locking element for inhibiting at least one of the pivoting movements, wherein the locking element in... Figure 4A It is shown in the first position and in Figure 4B The middle is shown in the second position; and

[0012] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view through the neck portion of the epilator head, wherein the upper portion is arranged to pivot relative to the lower portion, and a spring element holds the upper portion in a central stationary position. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The present invention discloses an epilator having an epilator head comprising a head housing and a skin contact unit arranged to pivot about a first axis relative to the head housing (specifically, the skin contact unit cannot pivot about any other axis relative to the head housing; that is, the skin contact unit can only pivot about the first axis relative to the head housing). Furthermore, the head housing carrying the skin contact unit is arranged to pivot about a second axis relative to the handle of the epilator (specifically, the head housing cannot pivot about any other axis relative to the handle; that is, the head housing can only pivot about the second axis relative to the handle). As will be explained in further detail below, the epilator head may include a neck portion for establishing a fixed connection with the handle, and the head housing may then be arranged for pivoting movement relative to the neck portion and the handle.

[0014] The first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to each other and are spaced apart from each other. Specifically, the first axis may be parallel to the skin contact plane defined by the skin contact unit (which may have skin contact elements defining the skin contact plane). This particular configuration allows for a two-dimensional adaptation of the handheld handle of the epilator relative to the skin contact unit (assuming the skin contact unit is in contact with the skin), enabling the user to always grip the epilator optimally and comfortably and guide the skin contact unit on the skin to effectively remove hair while maintaining optimal skin contact. While the angular range of pivoting of the skin contact unit about the first axis may be limited by the needs of the specific embodiment, the skin contact unit may be arranged to pivot about the first axis within a range of ±5 degrees to ±60 degrees (wherein this would mean the skin contact unit has a maximum deflection angle between 5 degrees and 60 degrees relative to a central position in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions). The maximum deflection angle relative to the central position may be specifically selected within a range of ±10 degrees and ±30 degrees, and more specifically, a deflection angle close to ±15 degrees may be selected.

[0015] A "first pivot point" centered on the first axis in the epilator during a first movement about a first axis may be closer to the skin contact plane than a corresponding "second pivot point" centered on the second axis in the epilator during a second movement about a second axis. Specifically, the first axis may be parallel to the skin contact plane, and the distance between the skin contact plane and the first axis is measured along a normal extending from the skin contact plane and intersecting the first pivot point. The distance between the first axis and the second axis is the distance between the first pivot point and the second pivot point. Despite the distance between the first and second axes, the second axis may be arranged such that it passes through the skin contact plane when the epilator head is in the centered position, and furthermore, the second axis may be arranged to always pass through the skin contact plane, regardless of the pivot angle of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing. At least one elastic element may be arranged to hold the head housing in a stationary position relative to the handle when no external force is applied to the head housing. The force required to move the head housing out of the stationary position may be set to a value capable of forming a specific tangible, perceptible barrier, but this value may generally be chosen to be small enough not to cause any significant disturbance during device use. A value of approximately 0.5 N is reasonable, but this does not preclude the force value from falling within the range of 0.01 N to 2.0 N, specifically between 0.2 N and 1.0 N. The skin contact unit and the head shell can be arranged such that even with small forces acting on the skin contact unit, such as gravity, friction acts between them to hold the skin contact unit in its current position; that is, the skin contact unit can pivot relative to the head shell essentially without needing to overcome a specific force value.

[0016] The hair removal roller may be disposed within the head of the epilator, and the skin contact unit may have an opening through which the hair removal roller contacts the skin during operation. Specifically, the hair removal roller may be coupled to the skin contact unit such that the skin contact unit and the hair removal roller pivot together about a first axis. Here, "coupled" should not mean inhibiting the rotation of the hair removal roller, but rather that the hair removal roller pivots together with the skin contact unit when at rest, such that the closing point of the pair of tweezers thus arranged on the hair removal roller rotates with the skin contact unit and remains fixed relative to the skin contact unit. Alternatively, the hair removal roller may not be arranged to pivot together with the skin contact unit. Regardless of the connection between the hair removal roller and the skin contact unit, the hair removal roller may specifically be arranged as a cylindrical hair removal roller, and the first axis may be arranged to coincide with the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical hair removal roller. As mentioned and as is known in the art, the hair removal roller may be equipped with multiple pairs of tweezers arranged to hold hair growing on the skin and to eventually pull out the hair as it is held by the rotating hair removal roller.

[0017] It has been found that when the first and second axes are close to the skin (e.g., both passing through the center of the hair removal cylinder designed to contact the skin and use multiple pairs of tweezers to grasp and remove hair from the skin), the two-dimensional adaptation of the skin contact unit relative to the handle is structurally complex in the absence of distance between the two pivot axes, or if both the first and second axes are far from the skin (e.g., when the two axes intersect each other in the neck region between the head and the handle of the epilator), the two-dimensional adaptation of the skin contact unit relative to the handle is not optimal from a usability perspective. Therefore, it has been found that a good compromise is provided by having one adaptive axis close to the skin and another adaptive axis arranged with a distance (specifically, a distance such that the second axis intersects with the neck region between the head and the handle of the epilator).

[0018] Specifically, the first axis may be arranged parallel to the skin contact plane defined by the skin contact unit, i.e., the first axis is substantially parallel to the skin surface of the treated subject during operation. The skin contact plane may be flat or may have a substantially one-dimensional curvature, wherein the curvature is set in a direction perpendicular to the direction defined by the first axis. The skin contact unit may specifically have at least one skin contact element defining the skin contact plane. The distance between the first axis and the skin contact plane may be in the range of 2 mm to 20 mm, specifically in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and more specifically in the range of 6 mm to 12 mm.

[0019] In some embodiments, the skin contact unit can be arranged to pivot without any elastic element that would bias the skin contact unit to a stationary position. Pivoting can then be performed by a very small force overcoming, for example, friction between the skin contact unit and the housing of the epilator head. Such friction can be selected such that the skin contact unit remains in its current position as long as no force is applied to overcome the friction. However, the selected force is so small that the user will not notice any particular obstacle when pivoting the head housing relative to the skin contact unit. Alternatively, an elastic element (e.g., a spring element) can be arranged between the head housing and the skin contact unit, which returns the skin contact unit to a central or stationary position if no external force is applied to it.

[0020] The distance between the first axis and the second axis (wherein the term “distance” should be understood as the distance between the first pivot point and the second pivot point as explained in the preceding paragraphs) may be in the range of 5 mm and 50 mm, specifically in the range of 10 mm and 40 mm, and more specifically in the range of 15 mm and 30 mm.

[0021] The skin contact plane defined by the at least one skin contact element of the skin contact unit and the second axis can be arranged such that the second axis intersects the skin contact plane at least at a pivot angle or an angle within a subrange of possible pivot angles achievable by the skin contact unit. Specifically, the second axis can be oriented such that it always passes through the skin contact plane for any possible pivot angle of the skin contact unit. This orientation of the second axis tends to improve the user experience when using the device because it supports the comfort of the hand-guided handle. The second axis can be arranged to intersect the skin contact plane at an angle between 20 and 40 degrees when the skin contact unit is in its central position. The intersection angle can specifically be selected to be approximately 30 degrees relative to the central position of the skin contact unit.

[0022] The epilator may include at least one resilient element (e.g., a spring element such as a coil spring, leaf spring, etc.) that biases the head housing to a rest position or a central position relative to the handle. The epilator head may be pivotable about a second axis within an angular range of ±45 degrees or less (e.g., ±30 degrees or less, ±25 degrees or less, ±20 degrees or less, ±15 degrees or less, ±10 degrees or less) relative to the central position. One or more stop elements may be provided in a fixed position relative to the handle to limit the range of pivoting of the head housing relative to the handle. The one or more stop elements may be provided at the neck portion of the epilator head or at the handle. Alternatively and / or additionally, at least one additional stop element may be arranged at the head housing to limit the range of pivoting angles of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing.

[0023] The epilator head can be repeatedly detachable from and reattached to the handle. In such embodiments, the handle may include a drive shaft for transmitting motion from the handle to the epilator head to drive movements such as epilating rollers. The epilator head may include a motion receiving element for coupling with the drive shaft. In some embodiments, the motion receiving element is envisioned to include a first coupling element, and the drive shaft includes a second coupling element, the first and second coupling elements forming together a separable carden connector (also known as a universal joint) in the attached state. The carden connector then enables the aforementioned second pivot point for pivotal movement of the head housing relative to the handle, i.e., the second axis then intersects the pivot point defined by the carden connector.

[0024] The Caden connector may include a first connecting element, specifically formed by at least a partially hemispherical central portion from which four axial protrusions extend, defining two perpendicular axes passing through each other at a pivot point defined by the Caden connector. The Caden connector may include a second connecting element having a hollow cylindrical portion for receiving the hemispherical central portion of the first connecting element. The second connecting element may also have four elongated slots extending from a bottom portion of the hollow cylinder in a direction parallel to the cylindrical axis of the hollow cylinder, the four elongated slots being arranged to receive the four axial protrusions of the first connecting element such that these axes are received in the slots with virtually no clearance relative to the circumferential direction. While the Caden connector generally allows the head housing to rotate freely relative to the handle, movement of the head housing relative to the handle can be restricted to pivoting about only a second axis, which then intersects the pivot point defined by the Caden connector. The epilator head may then include a guiding structure for inhibiting movement of the head housing about a different axis than the second axis. Specifically, an elastic element, such as a spring element, may be used to hold the head housing in a stationary position, biasing it to a resting position. The stationary position may specifically be a central position, such that the head housing can pivot about the second axis in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions with the same maximum deflection angle.

[0025] The hair removal device according to this proposal may include at least one locking element for mechanically inhibiting at least one of pivoting movement of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing and pivoting movement of the head housing relative to the handle. The locking element may include a protruding portion or an arm portion that, when activated (e.g., by pressing the locking element or by sliding it into another position), interlocks with a corresponding portion of the skin contact unit or neck portion to inhibit at least one of the two pivoting movements. The user may arbitrarily deactivate the hair removal device's adaptability if deemed appropriate. The hair removal device may include two locking elements, each for inhibiting one assigned pivoting movement.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a diagram of an exemplary epilator 1 according to the present disclosure. The epilator 1 includes an epilator head 100 and a handle 200. As shown, the epilator head 100 includes a skin contact unit 110 mounted on a head housing 120 so as to be pivotable relative to the head housing 120 about a first axis A1. The skin contact unit 110 has skin contact elements such as a skin contact surface 111 and a skin contact roller 112, which together define a substantially flat skin contact plane. An epilator roller 150 is arranged in an aperture 115 of the skin contact unit 110 and includes multiple pairs of tweezers 151. The epilator roller 150 is mounted on the head housing 120 so as to be rotatable about the first axis A1. The epilator roller 150 is specifically arranged for driven rotation about the first axis, and in operation, a motor disposed in the handle provides rotational motion via a drive shaft, which is transmitted to the epilator roller 150 via gears disposed in the epilator head 100. The epilator head 100 also includes a neck portion 130 detachably attached to the handle 200. A mechanical unlocking element (not shown) may be provided to release the neck portion 130 from its attachment to the handle 200. When attached, the neck portion 130 remains fixed relative to the handle 200. Thus, the epilator head 100 and the handle can be repeatedly detached from and reattached to each other. This allows for modification of the epilator head 100 and makes it possible to clean the internal components of the epilator head 100. A separation line 139 indicates the point where the epilator head 100 and the handle 200 can be separated.

[0027] The handle 200 is configured to be gripped by a user's hand. The handle 200 may include an ON / OFF switch 201 and optionally a light source 202 (such as an LED) for illuminating, for example, the area of ​​skin to be treated. These elements are optional, and other embodiments are contemplated in which these elements are not implemented or only one or some elements are implemented. For example, instead of a mechanical ON / OFF button 211, the epilator may include a capacitive sensor for detecting whether the user's hand has gripped the handle, and thus automatically switch the epilator to an active state. Another capacitive sensor for detecting whether the epilator head is close to the skin may then activate a motor to drive the epilator rollers.

[0028] The handle 200 defines a longitudinal axis L that generally extends along the length of the handle 200. The longitudinal axis L is introduced for illustrative purposes. As will be further explained below, the longitudinal axis L extends through a second pivot point P2 about which the head housing 110 can pivot relative to the handle 200 about a second axis A2, as indicated by the double arrow R2. The neck portion 130 provides a tapered section that allows the wider head housing 120 to easily pivot about the second axis A2. This design provides a structure that allows movement of the top portion of the epilator head 100 (i.e., the head housing 120 and the skin contact unit 110) relative to the handle 200 and the fixedly attached neck portion 130. Obviously, this is only one possible design, and other designs without such a tapered neck portion 130 are also contemplated.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a cross-section of an exemplary epilator 1A according to the present disclosure. Only the head portion of the epilator 1A is shown. The epilator 1A includes an epilator head 100A and a handle 200A. The epilator head 100A includes a skin contact unit 110A, a head housing 120A, and a neck portion 130A. An epilator roller 150A is disposed in a cavity within the epilator head 100A and is mounted to be driven about a first axis A1'. The cross-section extends through the epilator 1A along a central plane such that the point of the first axis A1' shown herein coincides with a first pivot point P1'. The skin contact unit 110A includes skin contact elements, of which two skin contact rollers 112A are shown herein. The skin contact elements define a skin contact plane P. The epilator roller 150A is arranged in an aperture 115A of the skin contact unit 110A and is thus accessible to the user's skin, specifically to grasp hair growing on the skin to pluck those hairs. Construction details of the hair removal roller 150A are not shown, but it should be understood that the hair removal roller 150A includes structures for removing hair (e.g., such as...). Figure 1 The multiple pairs of tweezers shown (151).

[0030] The skin contact unit 110A is arranged for pivoting about a first axis A1' relative to the head housing 120A. The head housing 120A itself is mounted for pivoting about a second axis A2' relative to the handle 200A. The epilator head 100A also includes a neck portion 130A detachably connected to the handle housing 205A of the handle 200A. In the attached state, the neck portion 130A is secured to the handle 200A via a mechanical fixing structure, but this fixation is specifically implemented as a releasable fixation, allowing the epilator head 100A to be repeatedly detached from and reattached to the handle 200A, for example, to clean the epilator head 100A. The head housing 120A here includes a neck wall 129A, which may be cylindrical or spherical. The neck portion 130A defines a hollow 139A, into which the neck wall 129A can be recessed when the head housing 120A moves about the second axis A2' relative to the handle 200A and the neck portion 130A. The dimensions of the neck wall 129A are specifically configured such that it is always recessed within the hollow 139A regardless of the pivot angle about the second axis A2', effectively preventing dust and debris from entering the hollow 139A. A gear set 124A is mounted inside the head housing 120A. A first connecting element 140A of the separable cardholder 340A is movably mounted at the gear set 124A. The first connecting element 140A is mounted using a shaft 149A about which it can rotate freely. The first connecting member 140A is connected to the gear element to transmit the motion provided by the drive shaft 211A of the motor 210A disposed in the handle 200A to the hair removal roller 150A to drive the hair removal roller 150A to rotate about the first axis A1'.

[0031] The handle 200A includes a motor 210A, which is mounted at a mounting structure 215A that connects to the handle housing 205A. The mounting structure 215A includes a through-hole through which a drive shaft 211A extends. As shown, a bellows seal 212A can be used against the mounting structure 215A to waterproofly seal the drive shaft 211A, allowing the epilator 1A to be used in a humid environment. A second coupling element 240A of the separable cardholder 340A is securely attached to the drive shaft 211A. (Reference) Figure 3A and Figure 3B The following description details the implementation scheme for the separable carden connector.

[0032] Figure 3A and Figure 3B To illustrate the first connecting element 140B of the detachable cardin connector in a disassembled state ( Figure 3A ) and second connecting element 240B ( Figure 3BA diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the [missing information]. As previously discussed, the first connecting element 140B and the second connecting element 240B are arranged to form a cardinal connector when attached to each other, specifically referring to [missing information]. Figure 2 As described, the first connecting element 140B can be coupled to a motion receiving element (e.g., a gear) of the epilator head, and the second connecting element 240B can be fixedly disposed at the free end of the drive shaft provided at the handle. For simplicity, the motion receiving element and the drive shaft are not shown here. It is obvious that it is irrelevant whether the male or female part of the Caden joint is disposed at the motion receiving element. The head housing of the epilator head is described here as being pivotable relative to the handle about only one axis (the second axis), and the transmission of motion from the drive shaft to the epilator roller must be achieved at all pivoting positions of the head housing relative to the handle. The Caden joint realizes this motion transmission.

[0033] The first connecting element 140B includes a hollow cylinder 141B that opens at a free end for receiving a second connecting element 240B. The hollow cylinder 141B has a cylindrical wall 142B including four elongated slots 143B extending along the axial direction of the cylinder and arranged at a 90-degree offset. The elongated slots 143B open at the free end of the hollow cylinder 141B. Figure 3A As shown, the cylindrical wall 142B may be chamfered in the circumferential direction on the side of the slot 143B to improve the engagement and disengagement of the first connecting element 140B and the second connecting element 240B during attachment. The cylindrical wall 142B may also have a chamfer in the radial direction.

[0034] The second connecting element 240B has a hemispherical central portion 241B, which is designed to be received inside the hollow cylinder 141B when the cardholder is engaged (i.e., during attachment when the epilator head is attached to the handle). The hemispherical central portion 241B has a flat top here, which does not limit the function of the cardholder, since the head housing only has a limited range of pivoting about its central position. The hemispherical central portion 241B fits substantially without clearance into the hollow cylinder 141B. Four shafts 242B are arranged offset from each other by 90 degrees, and these four shafts 242B protrude from the bottom (“equator”) of the hemispherical central portion 241B, such that the shafts 242B can slide into the slot 142B of the first connecting element 140B during attachment. The shafts 242B fit substantially without clearance into the slot 142B relative to the circumferential direction.

[0035] Figure 4A and Figure 4BThis is a schematic diagram of the rear side of an exemplary epilator head 100C, which has a head housing 120C and a skin contact unit 110C, the skin contact unit being generally arranged for pivoting about axis A3 relative to the head housing 120C. The epilator head 100C includes a locking element 127C disposed on the rear side of the head housing 120C. The locking element 127C is arranged here to inhibit pivoting of the skin contact unit 110C relative to the head housing 120C and simultaneously inhibits pivoting of the head housing 120C relative to the handle. The locking element 127C is arranged as a mechanical switch movable between two switching positions. The locking element 127C has a generally U-shaped arm 1271C and a protrusion 1272C. The U-shaped arm 1271C has a forearm portion 128C. Figure 4A In the first position shown, the forearm portion 128C does not engage with the stop element 118C provided at the hair removal roller 150C, and thus allows pivotal movement of the skin contact unit 110C (which is pivotally connected to the hair removal roller 150C) relative to the head housing 120C. In the same first position, the protrusion 1272C of the locking element 117C does not engage with the stop element (not shown) of the handle. Figure 4B In the second position of the locking element 127C shown, the forearm portion 128C engages with the stop element 118C, thus inhibiting pivoting movement of the skin contact unit 110C, and simultaneously the protrusion 1272C engages with the aforementioned stop element disposed on the housing, thereby inhibiting pivoting movement of the head housing 120C relative to the handle. In an alternative embodiment, if only one of the pivoting movements is inhibited by the locking element 127C, either the arm 1271C or the protrusion 1272C is removed. In some embodiments, two separate locking elements are provided to allow for independent inhibition of both pivoting movements.

[0036] Figure 5This is a cross-sectional view taken through a portion of the epilator head 100D, showing only a portion of the neck portion 130D and a portion of the head shell 120D. The head shell 120D is mounted on the neck portion 130D via two shafts 127D and 128D, allowing the head shell 120D to pivot relative to the neck portion 130D about axis A4 (which is the second axis of the epilator). An elastic element 180D is arranged between the neck portion 130D and the head shell 120D. The elastic element 180D is implemented here as a coil spring. The coil spring is prestressed and applies a centering force. The pivoting movement of the head shell 120D will further compress the coil spring, such that the central position of the head shell 120D shown is maintained until a force overcoming the spring force acts on the head shell. The design shown is only a simplified and non-limiting example, and those skilled in the art can envision many other designs that achieve the centering function.

[0037] In one aspect of this disclosure, a hair removal device is provided, comprising a hair removal head having a head housing and a handle arranged for gripping by a user's hand; wherein the hair removal head and the handle are repeatedly detachable from and attachable to each other, and wherein the hair removal head includes a first connecting member with a separable cardholder, and the handle includes a second connecting member with a separable cardholder.

[0038] Specifically, the separable cardholder can be implemented as discussed with respect to the previous embodiments. The connecting member of the separable cardholder located at the handle can be specifically arranged at the free end of the shaft for transmitting rotational motion about the longitudinal axis of the shaft from the handle to the epilator head.

[0039] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein should not be construed as strictly limited to the precise numerical values ​​cited. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to represent the stated value and a range around which it is functionally equivalent. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to represent “approximately 40 mm”.

Claims

1. A hair removal device, comprising: A hair removal head having a head shell and a skin contact unit, the skin contact unit being mounted on the head shell and arranged to be pivotable relative to the head shell about a first axis; and A handle, which is arranged for gripping by a user's hand; The head shell of the epilator head is arranged to pivot about a second axis relative to the handle, the first axis and the second axis being substantially perpendicular to each other and having a distance between them; The epilator head is reusable from and reattachable to the handle, and the epilator head includes a first coupling element with a separable cardholder, the handle includes a second coupling element with the separable cardholder, the cardholder defining a pivot point, and a second axis extending through the pivot point. In the case of the Carden connector, one of the first and second connecting elements has a hemispherical central portion, from which four shaft protrusions extend, the shaft protrusions defining two vertical axes; One of the first and second connecting elements of the Carden connector includes a hollow cylindrical portion for receiving the hemispherical central portion, and the wall of the hollow cylinder has four elongated slots opening on the receiving side of the hollow cylinder for receiving the shaft protrusion.

2. The hair removal device of claim 1, wherein at least one elastic element is configured to hold the head shell relative to the handle in a defined stationary position.

3. The hair removal device of claim 1, wherein the skin contact unit is arranged to pivot about the first axis relative to a central position within an angular range of ±5 degrees to ±60 degrees.

4. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the skin contact unit has a skin contact element defining a skin contact plane, and the second axis always passes through the skin contact plane, regardless of the pivot angle of the skin contact unit.

5. The hair removal device according to claim 4, wherein when the skin contact unit is in the central position, the angle between the second axis and the skin contact plane is in the range of 20 degrees and 40 degrees.

6. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hair removal device head includes a hair removal roller arranged for driven rotational movement about the first axis, the hair removal roller being coupled to the skin contact unit and pivoting together with the skin contact unit about the first axis.

7. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hair removal device head includes at least one locking element for mechanically inhibiting at least one of pivoting movement of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing and pivoting movement of the head housing relative to the handle.

8. The hair removal device of claim 7, wherein the at least one locking element is configured to mechanically inhibit both the pivoting movement of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing and the pivoting movement of the head housing relative to the handle in a suppressed position.

9. The hair removal device of claim 8, wherein the locking element has a generally U-shaped arm and a protrusion, the generally U-shaped arm having a forearm portion; wherein in the suppressed position, the forearm portion engages with a stop element disposed at the skin contact unit to suppress pivoting movement of the skin contact unit relative to the head housing, while the protrusion engages with a stop element disposed at the head housing to suppress pivoting movement of the head housing relative to the handle.

10. The hair removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hair removal device head includes a gear arranged to convert rotational motion provided via a drive shaft into rotational motion about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

11. The hair removal device according to claim 10, wherein the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle.

12. The hair removal device of claim 11, wherein the first axis is arranged closer to the skin contact plane defined by the skin contact unit than the second axis, the distance between the skin contact plane and the second axis is measured along a normal extending from the skin contact plane, the normal intersecting a pivot point about which the head of the hair removal device is pivotally arranged relative to the handle, and the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle and / or the first axis is parallel to the skin contact plane.

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